Grim in the Great Hall
by JustheOreo118
Summary: AU. Sirius escaped Britain with baby Harry, saving him from a life of torture and torment. Trained far beyond his peers, he returns as a result of Dumbledore's machinations, but he's not what Magical Britain expects. {Inspired by Arcturus Peverell's "The Last of the Peverells"} Harry/OC/Daphne/Tracey/Pansy/Fleur/Tonks. Multi, Soul-Bonds, Powerful!Harry, Some Bashing
1. Chapter 1 (Redux)

A/N: This is the fifth revision and third posting for this chapter… Last time, I promise. It's been a while. I kinda got destroyed with the reception, which started off positive but then turned sour. And as much as I tried to ignore it and carry on, it turned me off continuing both of my stories. So, I took a few months off, focused on my studies, and now I feel ready to come back.

First problem is fixing a lot of the complaints: little backstory inaccuracies, not revealing Alexander is Harry, and most importantly, removing Ava's 'true form' and 'accent'. Originally, I thought writing her dialogue the way I did would make it more obvious that she isn't a natural English speaker, but a few pointed out that it sucked. So, I'm getting rid of it entirely.

Secondly, I've now merged this with another story that I conceived – which will be shaped to fit in. I hope the fact I never got past 2 chapters will help keep anyone from being able to pick apart the two stories.

At the bottom, I'll have a breakdown of Years 1-4 and what happened at Hogwarts without Harry.

One more thing: No, my name is not 'Alexander' and I'm not inserting myself into this story like someone accused me of. Although, that is hilarious.

(Original A/N) This is inspired by Arcturus Peverell's "The Last of the Peverells". Credit where credit's due. It's a great story. I've taken the basic set up, but I am putting my own spin on things. I'll admit that this one is more pulpy & fun, compared to 'Hunt for Lost Pieces' (shameless plug). Enjoy…

/ _Portuguese in English_ /

 _[Parsletongue]_

 _{Soul-Bond Telepathy}_

 _|Legilimens|_

 _Flashback_

 _Date_

 **CHAPTER 1: The Price of a Name**

 _ **Saturday – October 31, 1981.**_

It wasn't meant to be like this.

The lights were out… It looked like no one was home… The front door was open…

It's not meant to be like this.

A shaggy shadow crept along stone path with a wand at the ready. This man with long unkempt hair slinked inside and found his best friend- No, his brother on the floor. Dead. "James!" Sirius dashed to his side, immediately seeing those cold, lifeless eyes. It was too late. "Harry." He ran upstairs. It didn't matter if Voldemort was here or not, the only thing that mattered was Harry.

What he found – he couldn't explain. Little Harry was sitting in his cot, entertaining himself with a long white stick. On the floor, only two feet away was Lily, who like James, was dead. They were both killed by the _Killing Curse_ , so why was Harry still alive? They all knew Voldemort was after the child, not the parents. It didn't make sense.

"Harry." Sirius lowered himself, meeting the little boy who was fascinated with the stick he held. Although, it didn't look like a stick. "May I see that?" He plucked it out of the boy's hands and inspected the bone-like appearance of the shaft and handle. "This is-"

In a snap, the Dark Lord's wand was gone from his hands and right into his godson's. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it. Then he saw a cut on Harry's forehead – a jagged wound. Then there was a pile of black next to him. Robes. "No… What…?" Answers could wait. Harry's safety came first. "Harry… Don't move. I'll be back." He ran into the parents' room, retrieving both Lily and James' trunks, levitating them both back into Harry's room. With a flick of his wand, everything started to shrink and disappear into the trunks, collapsing the home into a series of blank walls. All that was left was Harry's cot and his parents' bodies. Sirius took the boy into his arms, so the last piece could be packed. "It's… It's going to be alright, Harry."

"James…?! Lily…?!"

Sirius froze. He knew the voice, but his mind lacked the focus to put a name to it. The voice repeated once more before Sirius heard multiple footsteps enter the cottage. He readied his wand in one hand and tried to manoeuvre Harry with his other to be shielded as much as possible.

"James!"

The footsteps hurried, scattering up the stairs. Sirius readied himself, a _Severing Curse_ on the tip of his tongue… But it was never said, for the three people to enter the empty room were his friends: Albus Dumbledore, Amelia Bones, and Remus Lupin. They all looked more frightened than Sirius had ever seen them before.

"Padfoot! What have you done?!"

"Moony, I found them like this. I swear!"

Albus, aiming his wand, tried his best to retain his composure. "Sirius, let's all take a breath. Please do not do something we'll regret. Place Harry down and we can talk about this."

"I'm not letting Harry out of my sight. Voldemort murdered Lily and James. Harry's my responsibility now."

Albus stepped forward. "Harry is vulnerable. Until we have definitively assessed what has happened, it will be best for him to be placed in the protection of his only remaining blood family – Lily's sister."

"Harry is my blood. And I'm not letting him anywhere near those cruel people!"

Now it was Remus that advanced. "You sold Lily and James, didn't you? Didn't you?! You betrayed us!"

"No, I did not! I would die before I did that!" Sirius saw where Remus' wand was pointed – right for his heart. He adjusted the same. The _Severing Curse_ was itching on his tongue, waiting to be said. Harry's safety was paramount. It was all that mattered, even if that meant going through old friends. "Remus, I swear. I'm not the one who did this."

"I don't believe you."

Seconds slowed. The air ceased. Everything came to a halt. Two friends, two brothers, now aim to kill the other. Seconds became minutes. The air thickened. Everything teetered on the edge.

"Squeak."

Like snatching the Snitch, they all snapped to the source of the intrusion: A large brown Rat in the corner. On reflex, Sirius flicked a _Stunner_ , dropping the rodent immediately. This rat seemed familiar. " _Revealio_."

Before there eyes, the rodent was transformed into their friend Peter Pettigrew. "He was meant to be on guard duty. Why wasn't he outside?" It took Sirius a few ticks to realise the horrible truth. "He's the secret-keeper. He's the traitor. He brought Voldemort here!" Sirius looked to Remus, who looked to Albus, who looked to coming to the same conclusion.

"Amelia, take Mister Pettigrew to a Ministry cell. Stand guard and do not let him wake until I return."

"Yes, Professor." Amelia threw a knot of rope onto the unconscious Peter and both were sucked into the portkey, leaving the three men and a boy behind.

Albus lowered his wand, and Remus followed suit. "The others will be here in a moment. I will meet them outside. Remus, help pack whatever is left." The old man glided out of the bare room, his purple robes flicked at his heels.

"Padfoot, I'm so-"

"Forget it. Look, Harry can't go to the Dursleys, but I can't do this on my own. I need you, Moony. Harry needs us."

"I… don't think that's a good idea." Remus walked past them, to look out the window. Dumbledore was on the doorstep, surveying the quiet street.

"What?"

"I'll always be a floo-call away, but I don't think it'll be healthy for Harry if I was there every minute of every day. You're his Godfather. You're fit to raise him."

"I don't know how to be a father."

"You'll be fine." Remus looked out the window again. "You'll go to Grimmauld?"

Sirius rubbed his temples. "The wards will keep anyone from entering, but the house itself isn't exactly child proof."

"It was Peter. Fucking Peter. How…? How did this happen?"

Sirius adjusted Harry back onto both of his arms. "I… I can't think about it right now. Everything's packed. We just need to… leave. Kreacher!"

With a pop, the old Black House Elf appeared in the room. "Master called?"

"Take these two trunks back to Grimmauld."

Kreacher barely bowed. "Yes, Master." And popped away, taking the luggage with him.

"Moony, we should leave." The two men made it outside as several other Order members arrived. "Albus, we're going. I'm taking Harry with me."

"Go, while you can."

Remus looked back to the house. "What about their bodies?"

"Alastor is on his way with the Minister. You must leave." Albus placed on hand on Harry's head and softly rubbed it. "There, there, Harry. It's not really goodbye."

Sirius smiled as Harry perfect-green eyes looked from Albus to him. The wand he clung to was hidden under the blanket he was wrapped in. "Moony, I'll… let you how we are tomorrow." He hugged his old friend.

"Go. I'll stay here, explain why you're not here. I'll make sure they're laid to rest."

And so, one brother departed, the other stayed; two dear friends were lost, a traitor revealed, and a son gained.

It wasn't meant to be like this.

But it was what had happened.

 _ **Friday – September 01, 1995**_ **.**

Faded blue upholstery and cream walls that were once upon a time pristine white. This particular Hogwarts Express compartment was located at the very end. Inside, there sat a long dark-haired boy, fifteen years, and a girl of equal age with long sandy hair that reflected her sun-soaked skin. The boy abhorred his predicament: British Heirs had to gain their OWLs and NEWTs from Hogwarts. It was a pathetic excuse to have him return to his motherland. His godfather had warned him about Albus Dumbledore's machinations and manipulations; he was a man not to be trusted. The boy also didn't want the girl to be joining him for the next three torturous years. It wasn't out of hate, but a need to spare her the agony of British climates. She would miss Brazil's heat.

The young Lord had been rechristened 'Alexander Black' after Voldemort's demise to protect him from the Dark Lord's followers and his fame. His godfather explained the choice of name as one incredibly important to Harry's family: Alexander Peverell founded the House, which would eventually merge with the Potters. However, the constant change of names caused the young boy to become confused: it was 'Harry Potter' at home but 'Alexander Black' everywhere else. When he was five, he asked Pa'foo with tears if he was 'Harry' or 'Alexander'. His godfather tried to explain many times that the change was necessary, but he also didn't want Harry to forget who he came from. He _is_ a 'Potter', but he needed to be someone else. Padfoot said it would get easier. It was at this time that he began showing Alexander memories in a pensieve of his parents. Now he never forgot who he was or where he came from.

 _On Alexander's eleventh birthday, he was summoned to Gringotts to undertake a genealogy test, a requirement of the last remaining member of a House. Under the protection and escort of the Goblins, what they discovered baffled both Alexander and Padfoot:_

 _ **Birth Name:**_ _Harry James Potter_

 _ **Alias(es):**_ _Alexander James Black, Alexander Black_

 _ **Date of Birth:**_ _July 31_ _st_ _, 1980_

 _ **Father:**_ _James Charlus Potter_

 _ **Mother:**_ _Lily Marie Potter, née Evans (muggleborn)_

 _ **Paternal Grandfather:**_ _Charlus Fleamont Potter_

 _ **Paternal Grandmother:**_ _Dorea Euphemia Potter, née Black_

 _ **Maternal Grandfather:**_ _John William Evans (muggle)_

 _ **Maternal Grandmother:**_ _Marie Jasmine Evans, née Wilson (muggle)_

 _ **Entitled Lordships:**_ _Peverell, Slytherin, Gaunt_

 _ **Sealed Lordships:**_ _Potter, Rosier_

 _ **Pending Lordships:**_ _Black_

 _All three entitled Lordships were immediately accepted, making him one of the richest people in Wizarding UK. Sirius also formally instated Alexander as his Heir to the House of Black, with Remus as his Regent should anything happen to him before Alexander is old enough. All that was required for the Potter and Rosier Houses was to wait to turn seventeen. He was then officially and legally christened as 'Lord Alexander Slytherin-Gaunt-Peverell'. However, he chose to leave off the first two surnames for obvious reasons within the UK Wizarding world. He would always be Harry, but he recognised the advantage his situation afforded: he could have peace and anonymity for a little while before Dumbledore revealed who he really was, not that it would be too different as he was a Peverell._

 _One little detail that the Gringotts Goblins explained to both Alexander and Padfoot was that a wife would be needed for each House he claimed Lordship of, meaning that if all went to plan, Alexander would need to find six willing witches to wed._

Alexander sighed as he grasped his two wands. One was thirteen-and-a-half inches, Yew and Phoenix Feather Tail; the other was thirteen inches, Snakewood and Basilisk Horn. Technically, both of his wands were made for someone else: Tom Riddle and Salazar Slytherin, respectively, but they felt perfect for him. Pa'foo advised against buying one from Ollivander, not because he questioned the quality, but to keep his presence within Diagon Alley to a minimum. Sirius was also suspicious that Garrick would inform Albus about the encounter. Still, Alexander was curious to meet the old wandmaker. Maybe during the Christmas holidays, he would pay him a visit.

His procurement of the wands was simple: he managed to catch Voldemort's when his _killing curse_ rebounded; even as a baby he had great reflexes. For his eleventh birthday, Alexander and Sirius ventured to Ilvermorny under the protection of his family's Invisibility Cloak and excavated his ancestor's wand from the snakewood tree that had sprouted from it. His wands were simply exquisite. Both were a shield and sword, and both filled him with a warmth of protectiveness and a chill of viciousness.

"I can hear your thoughts from here, Alessander."

He turned to see her smirk. She always jumped at the chance to get one up on him. Her hair cascaded with shades of light and dark golds, her brown eyes held a twinkle of mischief, her lips pulled with delight at seeing him. Her flaws made her perfect. "Sorry, Ava… You know me."

She sauntered a little closer, practically resting her head on his shoulder. "I know us."

 _They met on his twelfth birthday. Oddly enough, Alexander and Pa'foo were in São Paulo for a holiday when they bumped into a wizarding family and asked for directions to the magical side of town. The Bragas welcomed them with open arms and dragged the two bachelors to their home. They never really left after that. Alexander and the girl his age, Ava, quickly became inseparable in their short time together, resulting in a soul-bond being formed with a blinding golden light. It was intense and overwhelming, especially for youths who aren't masters of their emotions._

 _Tensions rose as the two Englishmen were informed of Ava and her mother's lineage of Lilin, a variant of the succubus creatures. Like the French Veela, Lilin produce an allure but can also manipulate others' pheromones with physical contact. This caused Ava to wear gloves to block her ability when out in town and surrounded by large groups of people. They're also naturally powerful Legilimens. Angered and a Lilin launches purple fireballs at you._

 _However, this information changed nothing of the visitors' opinions of the Brazilian family, and they revealed everything about the 'Boy-Who-Lived'. Within a year, Alexander and Ava were betrothed to each other, and she was to be Lady Peverell._

Ava brought Alexander out of his daydreams yet again, only this time, with a kiss. "Wakey, wakey, Aly. Your head was in the clouds again."

Alexander smiled as she did. He honestly couldn't get used to seeing it. "Sorry." He kissed her this time.

He replaced his wands in their forearm holster, taking out his trunk from his blazer's inner breast pocket and expanding it wandlessly. He could do simple things with ease, now. It made him think of the muggle films where people could channel the 'force'. He often pretended that he was hanging upside down in an ice cave and reaching out for his wands that were trapped in the snow below.

Alexander checked the contents of his trunk once again. Apart from his clothes, robes, and footwear, he had his Invisibility Cloak, Marauder's Map, Communication Mirror, and shrunken Firebolt packed. Both he and Ava each had the fastest brooms in production. They were fiercely competitive Quidditch players, but whereas he favoured Seeker, she was a Chaser; he liked the challenge of the Snitch, whereas she enjoyed being in the thick of the action. Flying also gave them brief freedom from life and its restraints.

 _After accepting the Peverell Lordship, Alexander read the Family Tome, learning that the children's story about the three brothers was actually partly true, not about Death, but about three brothers and their creations: The Deathly Hallows. Alexander learned that his Cloak was the very same one created by the youngest brother 'Ignotus'. It was his most treasured possession. The year before, the trio had discovered that the Resurrection Stone was being hidden in the decrepit Gaunt Shack, which also housed the elusive Family Tome. The Stone was disguised as the Gaunt Ring. Touching the ring placed a vile and deadly curse on the sorry soul, but they weren't that foolish. It took weeks and weeks, stretching hopelessly into months, but they finally cracked the curse with the incredibly expensive Venom of a Basilisk fang. They both agreed, however, that the Stone should stay with Sirius at Grimmauld Place instead of going with Alexander to Hogwarts. He locked and sealed it away in a safe place Sirius demanded not to know._

He closed the lid before shrinking the trunk again and replaced it in his pocket. Pa'foo suggested making an impression by wearing a very tailored two-piece Armani for his first day. In fact, for the last four months suits were the only thing Alexander was allowed to wear, unless for P.T. At first, he hated wearing them: they were too snug, too constricting to move in, however, after a few weeks he loved them. Now, he never wanted to be without them. Of course, there were exceptions: P.T., swimming, running, flying, hiking, bed… Apart from that, he would never be without one. And combined with his five-foot-eleven-inch height, lean but muscular frame, perfect-green eyes, and long, swept-back hair, he definitely made an impression. He contemplated letting a few strands fall like a comma, to hide his infamous scar from clear view, but Ava used a little foundation to blend it away. After the sorting, he would remove it when there was no need to hide.

Ava was used to the tropical heat of the equator, where everyone wore as little clothing as possible on the account that it was ball-sweating hot. Now though, in the chill of Scotland, she was wrapped in fur and Acromantula silk robes and velvet gloves. In a few months, her ever present sun-kissed tan would fade away too. Oh, how she was going to love Britain.

Their musings were interrupted by a knock on the door, followed by the sight of three gorgeous girls entering. They all wore the colours of Slytherin and looked to be their age. They were easy enough to distinguish: one had long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, another had long dark hair and dark brown eyes, and the third had short brown hair and glasses that framed her face nicely. The dark-haired spoke first, "Do you mind? Everywhere else is full."

Alexander looked to his love, then at the bench in front of them. They really were alone. "Please. We could use your help."

The glasses girl inquired while they all sat down across from the couple. "Help with what?"

"Well, I'd like to ask you about the school. Like, what House should we aim to get into?"

Blondie stepped in. "Slytherin, if you're smart… Or Ravenclaw, maybe."

Ava perked up. "And the others? There are four houses, no?"

The three serpents caught the other girl's accent. She was beautiful but not from around here. He, though, apart from the tan, he sounded English. Brown eyes answered. "Puffs are loyal, but that's it. And Gryffindorks? Please. They're so impulsive they argue when Professors take points away, which leads to more points being taken from them. It's pathetic."

Alexander chuckled. Sirius had told them all about the flaws of Gryffindors, while also putting them on a pedestal. He, however, hoped he'd make his ancestor's House. It would seem strange for Lord Slytherin to be in any other. "Where are my manners? I'm Alex Evans."

"Ava Braga." She gave the three her sweetest smile.

Blondie. "Daphne Greengrass."

Glasses. "Tracey Davis."

Brown eyes. "Pansy Parkinson."

"A pleasure to meet you all."

Daphne's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry, but I've never seen you before. And she's… Spanish?"

Ava pouted. "Brazilian."

Alexander rubbed her shoulder, knowing she hated when people mistook her for anything but what she was. "This year will be our first at Hogwarts."

Tracey repositioned her glasses. "What about the rest of your education?"

"I was being privately tutored, and Ava's here 'cause she wouldn't let me out of her sight. I had to come because of that stupid law Dumbledore created."

Daphne's ears perked. "The one about Heirs requiring OWLs and NEWTs from Hogwarts?"

"The very same."

There was a collective intake of air from the three witches. It wasn't a full gasp but enough to hear in the quiet compartment. Daphne stared right into his eyes. "So, are you a Lord or an Heir?"

"Who wants to know?"

Pansy leaned in. "Daphne and I are Heirs."

Ava turned to Tracey. "How about you, Tracey?"

The cute girl blushed and shook her head. "Not me. I'm a halfblood."

"So are we." Ava took Alexander's hand in hers.

Tracey smiled. "Unfortunately, while Daphne and I share the same father, I could never be _Lady_ Greengrass."

"Tracey!" Daphne's severity only made the moment funnier.

"What? It's true. We're half-sisters."

Alexander butted in. "Half-siblings aren't welcomed at school?"

Daphne directed her scorn to the boy. "You have a problem with that?"

"Merlin, no. My familial situation is just as complicated, perhaps even more… No, definitely more."

Tracey ignored her sister's anger. "May I ask how?"

"Sorry, but we just met. Tell you what, though, if we're sorted into Slytherin I'll be a somewhat open book."

Tracey nodded. "That's… more than reasonable."

Pansy looked at the strangers with narrowed eyes. "What makes you think you'll be sorted into the same House?"

Alexander and Ava started conversing in a language unknown to the three serpents. Alexander wasn't fluent just yet, needing to talk at a much slower pace, but he was making good progress.

Pansy butted in before Alexander could talk. "Was that Spanish?"

"Portuguese. There's a difference, supposedly-" He was cut off when one of Ava's elbows collided with his ribs. "Ow!"

"There is a difference! Don't make me remind you again." She was hot when angered, figuratively and literally.

Alexander rubbed his sore side as the girls laughed. "Sorry."

Daphne picked up on their chemistry, more than that of simple couple. "Are you two together?"

"Why, wanna join us?" Alexander couldn't help tease.

Daphne stuttered and stalled as her sister burst into laughter. "No one ever makes Daph lose her words! Thank you for that!" The rest joined in, leaving Daphne with crimson cheeks.

Soon, a comfortable silence descended. Alexander leaned against the window and closed his eyes. Ava joined him in slumber as the three girls broke into a discussion about OWLs and how hard they will be. Secretly, Alexander and Ava were well onto finishing their studies for NEWTs, but it was decided that they'd simply fake three years of learning to blend in. At least they wouldn't have to worry about homework or assignments. Still, they were literally being held back.

Being more observant, even while half-asleep, Alexander heard their discussion begin to be directed at him. Tracey's voice broke into a hushed tone. "Do you think they're asleep?"

"Hm. I think so." Pansy?

"He's so polite… and hot. They both are."

"Tracey! They're right there." Daphne scolded her sister again.

"What? You're thinking it too."

"Am… not."

"Ha! You paused. You were too." Pansy chimed in with a victorious point of her finger.

Alexander was leaning on his occlumency shields to stop himself from chuckling. He knew he was somewhat good-looking, it was either that or Pa'foo was just making fun of him every time a witch his age looked at him. He also knew that Ava was a goddess, so no surprise there, plus her allure often attracted the attention of both sexes. Having just met the three attractive snakes, Alexander didn't despise being around them. He wasn't entirely sure how their reactions would be when they found out he was the 'Boy-Who-Lived', but he hoped they wouldn't act differently.

"-admit it, Daphne, you think he's hot." It was Pansy this time throwing accusations.

"Alright! Fine, he's appealing in a way. Now, shush! I think he can hear us."

The three Slytherins looked at their target, whose face wasn't betraying his interest. Tracey leaned over and inspected both of their features more closely, looking for any sign of deception. When she pulled away, Alexander breathed a mental sigh.

The rest of the train ride was a lot less eventful. Daphne—being a Prefect—had to depart soon after and go on duty before reaching Hogsmeade. Alexander and Ava only woke when Tracey shook them a few miles from Hogsmeade Station. They draped their school robes on and followed the girls to a carriage. Daphne explained that 'first years' took the boats, but it wasn't an order, so Alexander and Ava entered their carriage, filling it up. He spotted a blonde boy eyeing him with curiosity as their carriage pulled away. He also saw a redhead boy looking pissed off at the blonde boy.

"Since when did Hogwarts use Thestrals to pull carriages?"

"What do you mean? The carriages pull themselves." Pansy looked at him strangely.

"I'll show you when we stop." Alexander spent the short ride preparing his shields for the intense introduction he was about to receive. Ava turned to her mother-tongue to vocalise those concerns as well.

When the carriage came to a halt Alexander exited first and helped all four girls out, with Pansy being last. He held her hand and led them to the black, skeletal creature. To the Slytherin girls, they thought he was mad, until Alexander placed Pansy's hand on an invisible bony spine. She couldn't see it, but she felt the thin skin, the bumpy bones, the chill of its touch. "Thestrals are very rare. The only way you can see them is by witnessing death… However, they're not dangerous, just… misunderstood."

Ava had taken Daphne and Tracey's hands and similarly placed them on the invisible flesh. Alexander gave Pansy a small smile before retracting his hand. "I think we need to find Professor… McGonagall?"

"Yeah. She'll sort you." Tracey chirped in.

"Thanks. I hope to see you again, even if we don't make Slytherin." He then left, taking Ava's hand in his before anyone could respond. After turning a corner, Alexander took out the Marauder's Map and spotted McGonagall rather quickly. A few more corners and hallways and they found themselves surrounded by thirty eleven-year olds. "Professor McGonagall?"

Said professor turned and looked slightly shocked to see two students that were clearly far older than their peers. "Yes. How can I help you?"

Alexander gave a slight smile. "Well, we're new and we were wondering how we would be sorted."

McGonagall raised a brow slightly. "In a few moments, dear. Now, may I have your names?"

"Alexander Peverell and Ava Braga."

There was a pause. It was small but noticeable. The old Professor looked from the boy and girl in front of her and the sheet of parchment in her hands. Nowhere did she see 'Alexander Peverell' but there was a 'Harry Potter', which was listed just below 'Ava Braga'. The two names were at the bottom of the parchment and spaced far below the rest of the first years. The boy-who-lived would be older than eleven by now… She had heard of the Peverells, but they were long extinct. Then it clicked: those eyes and that face, he was the spitting image of two former students. "I see. Although, it seems that's not the name you are registered here as. Shall I change it?"

Alexander gave a full smile this time. Padfoot said she could be trusted… somewhat. "If it wouldn't be a problem. Although, it'll get out eventually, I'd rather it not be tonight."

Minerva nodded. "Quite right… Now, wait here, at the back of the line actually. I'll see if they're ready for us."

"Thanks, Professor."

Ava led Alexander to the back as instructed. She lowered her voice to keep eavesdroppers unalerted. / _How are you feeling?_ /

/ _As well as expected. You?_ / Alexander enjoyed speaking in her tongue, especially when no one else could understand it. It was like they had their own little private world.

/ _My blood is freezing, my skin is dry, my nipples are hard, my bottom is numb… I am wonderful._ /

Alexander leaned in for a prolonged and passion-filled kiss. / _Better?_ /

Ava lifted her chin in contempt. / _Not even close._ / Her air of superiority lasted for a few seconds before crumbling to giggles. / _Damn. I was doing so well!_ /

Alexander placed another but brief kiss on her cherry lips. / _Hardly, but the effort is to be commended. I'll warm you up when we make it to our room._ /

/ _Mmm. We'll have to go to your ancestor's fabled Chamber soon. I don't want to share a room with others so nearby, interrupting us at all hours._ /

/ _Maybe Salazar had private quarters besides the Chamber. Maybe I could ask the ghosts or portraits._ /

/ _I think you should just demand it of the Headmaster, being Lord Slytherin himself… Although, that may not be the subtlest way of approaching it. Still, I'd rather it be done as soon as possible, Aly._ /

/ _So would I, but Pa'foo said we couldn't yet trust anything Albus did or said. We'll have to at least try and be sneaky at first._ / They sat in silence, hand in hand, until McGonagall came to escort them all into the Great Hall.

Entering the large and ancient Hall was taxing on Ava, as she had to consciously rein in her allure to prevent everyone from drooling or leap at her with lust. While she was very experienced with it, it still took a lot out of her. This, in turn, caused her to rely on Alexander for support. Looking around, he could see the faint looks of carnal attraction in a few eyes. He was occasionally prone to jealousy, but not obsessive possessive tendencies. Either way, it did sometimes rub him the wrong way.

Alexander was able to identify many of the staff members from the descriptions Pa'foo gave him: there was Minerva McGonagall, the stern Transfiguration Professor and Gryffindor Head of House; Hagrid, the gentle half-Giant and Keeper of Grounds and Keys; Filius Flitwick, the part-Goblin Charms Master and Ravenclaw Head of House; Pomona Sprout, the plumpy Herbology Professor and Hufflepuff Head of House; Horace Slughorn, who was returning to teach Potions and was the former Slytherin Head of House, as his successor in both positions, Severus Snape, had finally acquired his dream job of teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. Pa'foo had told him all about the obsessive, possessive love Severus had for Lily, which was ultimately unrequited. He theorised that it turned sour. They both shared the suspicion that he had a hand in his parents' murder. It didn't help that he was protected from Azkaban by Albus Dumbledore, himself. Speaking of the old fossil, he sat on his golden throne in the middle of the staff table, watching the procession like royalty.

The strangest, but recognisable sensations overcame him when his eyes connected to both Severus and Albus. They were trying to peak into the unsorted-but-clearly-too-old-to-be-a-first-year's mind. He felt their presence meet his first and purposely-weak shields. So, Alexander sent a decisive and dismissive mental slap to both men, causing them to snap their heads back. He grinned and looked away.

 _{I felt someone- some_ _ **ones**_ _in your mind. It was Snape and Dumbledore, wasn't it?}_

 _{Mm-hmm. Gave them a backhand for it.}_

Ava grinned. _{Good.}_

A bonus to a soul-bond meant gaining the ability to communicate telepathically, once a strong enough connection was established. There were limits, though, such as: you had to be within close proximity for it to work. The furthest Ava and Alexander had gone was when he got separated during the World Cup last year and ended up on the other side of the camp grounds, which were deceptively enormous. They still had to keep testing the connection's limits, though.

The sorting hardly took ten minutes, one of the shortest in the last hundred years. Ava barely had the Hat on her head before it shouted 'SLYTHERIN!'. She joined the table of snakes and was welcomed by the three girls. Then it was his turn. He looked over at the four Slytherin snakes, they each eyed him with interest. He gave them a big grin.

"Alexander Peverell."

There was an audible, collective gasp as the Great Hall heard the name. Alexander stood firm and watched the Headmaster almost jump out of his great chair. The old man looked reinvigorated. McGonagall gave the new boy a smirk. "Mister Peverell? Please come forward." The second mention of that particular name set off pandemonium. He figured that most of the purebloods would have at least heard the name from the Beedle and Bard book. It was a name thought extinct and lost. He was having fun.

A smirk of his own crawled at the corners of his mouth as he glided to and sat down on the stool. The hat was placed on his swept-back hair and a voice penetrated his shields. " _Now, now, no need for that._ "

" _Forgive me, but there's some things I don't want anyone finding out._ "

" _I can see. Worry not, you're secrets never leave here… Now, let's see where you- Oh. Lord Slytherin has returned._ "

" _See what I mean?_ "

" _Yes. Hm. It would not be wise to reveal that just yet._ "

" _My thoughts exactly._ "

" _I assume you know where your ancestor's Chamber is?_ "

" _I do._ "

" _It's not my place but there was some trouble three years ago with its 'apparent' reopening. The Headmaster kept it all tightly wrapped, but everyone knows two girls and a teacher were never seen again._ "

" _Whom?_ "

" _Ginevra Weasley, pureblood, and Penelope Clearwater, a muggleborn, and Professor Gilderoy Lockhart. A word of warning: three other muggleborns were killed and the school was very nearly closed down for good. I would stress caution upon entering the Chamber, if you enter it._ "

" _I will. Thank you._ "

" _Very well. Aside from the obvious, you have plenty courage, unwavering loyalty, and a thirst for knowledge. Hm. Very interesting. Your mate is very complementary._ "

" _Thanks. Would you know if the Headmaster went into the Chamber?_ "

" _No, he was preoccupied with the Minister and Aurors attempting to evacuate the students from the school._ "

" _Hm. If I ever wanted to speak to you, would it be possible?_ "

" _I am at your service, although, caution would be advised._ "

" _I have another question, then._ "

" _Ask and I will answer._ "

" _Being Lord Slytherin, I assume my ancestor had private quarters apart from his Chamber. Would you know where they are?_ "

The Hat was quiet for a few seconds. " _Inside the Common Room there is a large statue of a Serpent coiled around a Wand. It will open for you._ "

" _Thank you._ "

To the rest of the Great Hall it was ten minutes of complete silence. Everyone was rapt with anticipation, no one so much as sneezed. Even Professor McGonagall, a true hatstall, was never on the stool for this long. Dumbledore was waiting patiently for the decision, one he was certain of. He knew Harry Potter had returned to his Castle.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Pandemonium erupted once again. Alexander gently handed the old hat to the surprised Professor before making his way out of the Hall and to the dungeons. Ava had already slipped out during the vocal chaos and was waiting outside for her mate. They were standing outside the Common Room entrance when the pitter-patter of approaching footsteps alerted them. They turned to see three shocked faces. "Anyone know the password?"

Daphne was the first to recover. "It's 'Runespoor'." The great oak double doors unlocked and opened. Alexander led the small group inside, taking in the interior design of his ancestor: blacks, silvers, and emeralds covered everything apart from a stone statue on the farthest wall. / _Do you see that statue of the serpent?_ /

/ _The one that looks like your wand?_ /

/ _Yeah. That's the entrance to Salazar's private quarters._ /

/ _Oh, goodie. The Hat told you? Shame I didn't get to spend more time with it._ /

The three girls watched with confusion as the couple conversed as if they were the only ones in the room. Pansy was reaching her limit. "Please! One of you start talking… in English."

Alexander regarded the three girls before motioning them all to follow him. At the stone statue, he grinned. _[Open for Lord Slytherin.]_ His hissing initiated the statue moving smoothly to the side, revealing an entrance not entered since the Founders' time. "After you." Alexander allowed his love to enter first, then the three snakes, then himself, making sure the statue closed after him.

The Common Room was nice and lavish, but this was a new level of extravagance. It also had something the Common Room didn't have: restraint. Alexander figured the other room was decorated in such a way to unite the whole House and imbue them with a shared sense of allegiance. Here though, in Salazar's private quarters, the design was far more personal. The furniture was made from exquisite snakewood, with ornate carvings, and stained in dark shades. The upholsteries, drapes, and bedding were of a richly dark green – appearing to actually be Salazar's favourite colour. There was a sense of comfort and luxury that fit the much-maligned wizard. For Alexander, it felt like home. The large fireplace erupted, illuminating three couches, arranged to form a 'U', with the bottom sofa being directly parallel to the fire. "How about we sit down?"

Ava launched herself, sailing through the air and hogging the entire parallel sofa. Alexander and the girls sat on the two facing couches. Tracey was looking around in wonder, Daphne was lost in deep thought, and Pansy just looked plain mad. "What is this place?"

"Salazar's personal quarters. Now, ours." Ava spread out like a cat, covering and testing the feel of the cushions.

"Salazar Slytherin? How did you gain entry? How did you know about it? We didn't know about it. No one knows about it." Pansy was getting madder and madder with every question. It was rather cute.

"Well, he is my ancestor. I am Lord Slytherin and am a parselmouth. And I asked the Sorting Hat if Salazar had personal quarters. He was more than happy to help." Alexander leaned back with a smile.

Tracey looked in heaven. "This is so cool, you guys! Can we hang out here? Can I even ask that?- I'mma shut up!"

Ava laughed. "Of course, we can hang out here! Wouldn't be much fun alone, now would it? Or would it?"

Daphne broke her silence. "You're Lord Peverell and Lord Slytherin, aren't you? Head of two of the most fabled and thought-to-be-extinct Houses in Britain? That scar. You're Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, and a parselmouth. You're here not because you want to be, but because you have to be. And I bet you two are betrothed. Did I miss anything?"

Alexander's smile grew even more. "You have no idea, and I prefer 'Alexander'… And 'yes' to everything you said. I might also add that I'm also 'Lord Gaunt' and we're soul-bound."

Daphne immediately stood up. "I need to leave. You can have the House Elves bring you dinner. Goodnight." And with that, she left as the statue automatically opened for her exit.

Tracey's enthusiasm quelled considerably. "Sorry." She stood up as well. "I should probably go after her. I'm really glad we met today!" She chased after her downcast sister.

Pansy left with a reaction that was somewhere in between. Her only words were a brisk, "I'll leave you to settle in."

Now alone, Alexander and Ava summoned an over-ecstatic House Elf, from Daphne's instruction. The Elf, called 'Binny', brought them a selection of food from the feast. He also recruited a team of Elves to change the bedding and clean the place up while they ate.

After dinner and dessert, Ava entered the bathroom with a mischievous grin. She closed the door as to not spoil the 'surprise'. Alexander made short work of relieving himself of the layers of clothes. Waiting on the edge of the bed in only his black skin-hugging boxer-briefs, he thought about the luck his life had: being saved by his godfather as a baby, raised in love and warmth, meeting a certain girl in a country where he was the stranger. Given how his life could have turned out, he felt very lucky.

But his meandering ruminations were cut short when the door opened, and he saw the most erotic sight he had experienced yet: a very naked Ava. Her skin was gold kissed from days in the sun, yet it was the smoothest thing imaginable; her legs were long and toned, leading to alluring hips; her breasts were plump and firm without being too big. In a way, she never ceased lighting his fire.

Ava swayed her hips, enjoying the way Alexander followed left to right with his eyes. She stood only a foot in front of him and could see the tightness his boxers were straining with. "Alessander, you look uncomfortable." Kneeling, she grinned like the cat caught the canary. "How about I relieve this pressure?"

Alexander returned with his own grin. "That's kind of you." He leaned back as Ava pulled his boxers off his legs, which sprung his solid shaft straight up. / _Do you like it here so far?_ /

Ava popped his shaft out of her mouth like a lollipop. / _Ask me in the morning._ /

 _end of chapter 1_

A/N: So, I hope you like this more light-hearted story. Right off the bat, some background stuff:

 **First Year:** Hermione, Ron, and Neville help Dumbledore stop Professor Quirrell/Voldemort from obtaining the Philosopher's Stone.

 **Second Year:** Ginny Weasley still opened the Chamber of Secrets. Colin Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchley and Hermione Granger were killed by the Basilisk. Ginny led Percy's girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, and Lockhart down to the Chamber, but they were all killed by the Basilisk before Tom could be fully revived. The Diary is still down there.

 **Third Year:** Pretty much a normal, boring school year as the whole 'Prisoner of Azkaban' doesn't happen. No Dementors, either.

 **Fourth Year:** The Quidditch World Cup is not attacked by Death Eaters. Tri-Wizard Tournament happens with the three competitors. Fleur ends up winning. Cedric doesn't die. Voldemort is not brought back.

 **Fifth Year:** Umbridge won't be at Hogwarts because there's no reason… yet. Instead, the position of Defence Professor will be filled by Snape, with Slughorn taking over Potions.


	2. Chapter 2 (Redux)

A/N: I hope you liked the revisions to this story so far. Yeah, it sucks that Hermione's dead, but I just couldn't have her in this story without being junior Sherlock, so I decided to use her death as a way to further separate this story from canon.

(Original A/N) Thanks to everyone that's read and shown support, I absolutely appreciate it! After the mostly positive response the first chapter received, I decided to keep going with this. Enjoy…

 _/Portuguese in English/_

 _[Parsletongue]_

 _{Soul-Bond Telepathy}_

 _|Legilimens|_

 _Flashback_

 _Date_

 **CHAPTER 2: Making an Entrance at Breakfast**

 _ **Saturday – October 31, 1981.**_

This place was grim. Black walls, dingy corridors, and scarred ceilings haunted the House of Black. Kreacher did his best, but there was no one but Sirius for the ancient home, and neither held any warm feelings for the other.

"This place hasn't changed." Sirius held a now sleeping Harry in his arms as they snuck past his infernal mother's portrait to the kitchen.

Dead quiet. The old once-proud house of the Blacks was now no place to raise a child. To pick the cleanest room for Harry would take a lifetime. Sirius slumped against the nearest wall. "Where then?" Silence passed at a slow crawl. There was no where to go. His best friends were gone, one had been revealed as a traitor, and another had understandably abandoned him. Most of the remaining Blacks were either Death Eaters or affiliated with them. He didn't completely trust Albus, his Order, or the Ministry.

Sirius was on his own to raise Harry.

He then smacked his own forehead. "Andi. She'll know what to do… I hope."

And so, he apparated out of his childhood home, arriving at the gate of a modest two-storey house. He pushed open the gate, feeling the minimum wards pass over them. They also triggered an alert to the occupants because he saw his little cousin, who Sirius was content on calling niece, pull back the curtains of her upstairs bedroom. Once he stepped to the front door, it was opened by his first favourite cousin.

"Sirius, you should have called. What are you doing here at this hour? And with Harry, too… I hope Lily knows you snuck away with her little boy."

"It… I don't…" Sirius failed to form a coherent sentence given a chance to fully process.

"Take a breath. What's going on? What's happened?"

"Voldemort killed Lily and James! He tried to kill Harry, but it didn't work. He's gone. Peter betrayed us and led him to their location! I… I'm all Harry has now."

Andromeda's smirk fell further the more Sirius talked. The Potters, especially James' parents, were always welcoming to Blacks whose beliefs placed them against the family. And Lily was an incredible Witch with an envious amount of empathy and love, despite all that she endured in the Wizarding World. "Come… inside." She moved out of the way and then closed the door.

After they placed Harry into Nymphadora's old crib, Sirius was seated in the dining room with Andi and Ted with a large cup of tea. He explained all that had happened in the last hour or two, again, finally getting a chance to process and come to term with what had happened.

Upstairs, young Nymphadora was placed on babysitting duty. She was told to watch over Harry and if he woke, come and get one of them. Instead, she practiced her shifting abilities by running through the hair rainbow, entertaining the infant with a kaleidoscope of changing colours.

Not long after, Sirius passed out on the spare bed. Too tired to even take off his boots.

The next day, the Tonks farewelled Sirius and Harry as they retreated from the British Wizarding World.

 _ **Saturday – September 02, 1995.**_

Ava's dreamworld of a life, where her and Aly were free became a hazy mess the more she felt a strange sensation on her skin. Something soft yet warm kept pressing on her face. The more it happened, the more she realised it was her mate's lips trying to wake her from her pleasant stupor.

Alexander traced kisses from her jaw, down to her neck. She grinned mischievously with a plan of payback and quelled his aroused mood with one question. "Aly, have you let Felícia out yet?"

Alexander stopped dead in his tracks. "Uh-oh." He dashed over to his trunk, opening the lid, revealing a shrunken cage. As soon as he opened the hatch a greatly pissed off Ashwinder launched at his face. On instinct and reflex, he caught the serpent, but she instead heated her body and burnt his hands. He released her from his grip. "Ow!"

 _[You left me in there the entire night! What was so important you abandon me in that cage?! Well…?!]_

Ava giggled as she watched Alexander apologise to the snake. She couldn't understand parseltongue, but from his tone, he was pleading forgiveness. / _You deserve that for neglecting your responsibilities._ /

/ _Not helping, my love._ /

 _[Now what is diverting your attention?!]_

 _[Sorry, Felícia. Ava's chastising me.]_

The Ashwinder did her best to produce a dismissive grunt. _[Serves you right…]_ Then she looked away and went quiet.

 _[Felícia, don't ignore me. You're still my number one girl.]_

 _[What about Ava? Is she not important to you? You're bonded.]_

 _[Come on, don't twist that on me. We're bonded too, remember?]_

 _[Light the fire.]_

After a quick _incendio_ aimed at the fireplace from Alexander, Felícia slithered into her warm, waiting bed.

 _Felícia's a rather special type of Ashwinder. In Brazil, there's a ritual for making the rather troublesome serpent a permanent fixture after they bond with a parselmouth. The Bragas performed it for Alexander on his thirteenth birthday when they discovered his rare ability. Alexander told them about the Boa Constrictor he freed from the London Zoo, which set off to return to Brazil. Miraculously, Alexander would later be reunited with his 'amigo', who was ever thankful for being freed. As it turned out, unlike Britain and Europe, parselmouths were revered and celebrated in South America for their unique connection to serpents._

 _This 'birthday present' also coincided with the betrothal contract. Ava choose the name 'Felícia', which derives from the Latin adjective 'felix', which means 'happy'. Felícia though, was anything but happy most of the time. She was, however, a great companion with her own set of special abilities: Brazilian Ashwinder's magical heat can heal and hurt, producing a very welcomed Familiar for those fortunate. Alexander secretly thought about creating a Basilisk but decided against it, in fear of irrevocably offending Felícia. Besides, he wasn't too far from his ancestor's creation._

Alexander found himself alone in the room: Felícia was sleeping by the roaring fire, and Ava was… in the bathroom, with the door closed. He knew better than to enter when she clearly wanted privacy, so he decided to get his clothes out and ready his plans for the quiet Saturday.

Not too long later, he had a creaseless three-piece Armani in black. He was, however, contemplating on whether it was too much. He needed a second opinion. _|Ava, I need to pick your brain on something.|_

 _|Shoot. I'm just washing my hair.|_

 _|Do you think an Armani three-piece is too much for breakfast?|_

 _|Hmm… Normally, no, but here? Definitely. Swap it for the tweed Gucci three-piece. Leave the tie.|_

 _|Grey or black?|_

 _|Grey with a black shirt. I think that'll look nice… Not too extravagant for Hogwarts.|_

 _|Thank you.|_ Alexander made the changes and a few minutes later, Ava came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a thick robe. Clearly, she wasn't adjusting to the climate well. Alexander's shower was rather quick, with a considerable amount of attention spent on taming his hair. Again, it was Ava who taught him how to make it look its best by sweeping it backwards. The downside was that it exposed his scar for all to see, however, he was never particularly ashamed of it to begin with. He just loathed the attention it received. And unlike yesterday, it wouldn't be covered with makeup.

Pa'foo explained that weekends, excluding dinners, students were not permitted to wear school robes. And soon, they were ready: Alexander, of course, was wearing a grey, three-piece tweed Gucci suit and black shirt, and with his swept-back hair, made him deliciously suave; Ava was again wrapped in expensive but comfortable furs, giving her an air of sophistication that added to her natural exoticness.

They stepped out of their private quarters to a suddenly quiet Common Room. Hand in hand, they gave inviting smiles. "Good morning." There weren't many left in the House's chambers, as most had already gone to the Great Hall. There were, however, three girls waiting just off to the side of the entryway's statue.

Tracey was the most enthused at seeing the new arrivals. "Good morning! How did you sleep- or should I not ask that?" Her cheeks grew a cute shade of crimson.

Alexander smirked. He liked Tracey's rather uncharacteristically Gryffindor way of barrelling into situations. "You can ask, and since you did, we… didn't sleep until late."

Tracey's brows rose higher and higher as realisation of his words sunk in. "O-oh…"

As much as he liked teasing Tracey, Alexander tried to steer the conversation onto lighter subjects. "So, we heard the Tri-Wizard Tournament was held here last year. First time no one's died in centuries, huh?"

"Oh yeah, that French girl won it. Diggory came last… Pity, really." Pansy was leaning against a nearby table. Daphne was still looking rather reserved, perhaps she hadn't fully processed last night's events.

"French girl? You don't mean Fleur, do you?" Ava knew exactly who won, of course.

Tracey consciously reined in her excitement under her sister's stormy gaze. "That's right. Fleur Delacour. Did you follow the Tournament?"

"No, we sorta bumped into her during the holidays. She's a… friend." Alexander's smirk turned coy.

 _Alexander instantly felt a connection with the Veela. They first met during the Quidditch World Cup before the Tournament, then met again in Paris over the summer break. The more time he spent around her, the more their connection grew, culminating in a bonding. A betrothal contract was drawn up soon after. Fleur would be 'Lady Potter'. There was some fear from her parents that because of her less than 'full human' status, she would be treated as a 'thing' rather than a 'person'. Their fears were relinquished when Alexander and Sirius included them all in drafting the contract, which equalised all parties. The terms themselves just documented the bond and the legal agreement that the two would marry and provide an Heir. However, that was not an immediate stipulation._

 _Pa'foo became rather incessant on his teasing of Alexander as he was barely fifteen and already was to be married to two witches. However, it stopped when Fleur threw a fireball playfully at Sirius' head. Ava also liked Fleur because Lilin and Veela share similarities. And whereas Ava liked to affectionately call him 'Alessander' or simply 'Aly', Fleur stuck with her native tongue of 'Mon chéri' or 'Mon amour', which are a little cliché but with her alluring voice, it made the difference._

Alexander palmed his forehead. "Ah, I forgot something. Girls, would you mind saving me a seat?" He re-entered the quarters past the statue before anyone could say a thing.

"Well, shall we?" Ava hooked Tracey's arm and led them out of the Common Room. Of course, she knew what Alexander was up to, she helped him plan it. They continued to the Great Hall, chatting about Brazil, the climate, meeting the Boy-Who-Lived – basically anything until they sat down at their table.

Not too long later, a large black wolf with perfect-green eyes came barrelling into the Hall. It barked at the nearest tables, which happened to be Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, then ran up the aisles. Most of the Professors had yet to arrive, and the few who were there assumed it to be another Weasley prank from the Twins. However, the youngest Weasley brother shouted, with a full mouth, "It's the GRIM!" That happened to turn the entertaining scene into a frenzy of shouts and panic. The disruptive black wolf chose to depart from the Hall and appeared to be laughing.

Moments later, the Headmaster appeared. "SILENCE! Please." The Hall grew quiet and everyone started taking their seats again. Dumbledore liked it when things were calm. "Thank you. Now, there is nothing to be afraid of. It was just a silly prank meant to elicit an emotional response. Please, return to your breakfast. I, myself, will enjoy a large plate of pancakes and honey."

Things returned to normal until a certain Boy-Who-Lived walked into the Hall in his impeccably tailored three-piece suit. Everyone, including Ava, turned to him. He didn't shrink whatsoever. "Sorry I'm late. This is a big place." He sauntered over to a spot next to Ava and acted like nothing had happened. Soon, everyone else did too.

 _/Very smooth./_

 _/Thank you. Did you see their faces?/_

 _/Very amusing. That redhead was by far the best./_

 _/I think he's a Weasley. Pa'foo said Arthur Weasley was okay but he didn't trust the mother, Molly, all that much./_

 _/Was it really that smart to pull this prank right now?/_

 _/Why not? We're meant to be having fun./_

At that moment, Alexander and Ava were cut from their discussion by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them. A blonde boy was dressed in very expensive looking black slacks and blazer, with a matching turtleneck. All in all, he looked like a typical aristocratic pureblood Lord-in-the-making. He looked at Alexander's forehead, inspecting the infamous scar. "It's true then, what they've been saying. Harry Potter has finally come to Hogwarts."

A gigantic, collective gasp. The entire Hall now knew. Well, twelve hours was still longer than Alexander thought before that nugget would be dropped. He also thought it would've been Albus who publicly called him that. Perhaps he spread it around last night?

"I prefer Alexander, Mister…?"

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." Son of a Death Eater and Black daughter. Alexander rose and faced his cousin. The whole Hall—even the Professors, who were now all there—were watching with laser-focused interest. Everyone expected spells to be firing. The 'cousins' eyed each other up and down, taking in the others' choice in fine materials and styles. "Forgive me, cousin, for not introducing myself yesterday. We are cousins, are we not?"

Alexander noticed Draco's 'Prefect Badge' and offered his hand. "I believe we are… Though, isn't everyone here related in some way?"

Draco took the hand. Both gave a firm shake. "Price for pureblood. Though, other families matter more than others." Alexander briefly saw a flicker of disdain as Draco glared over to the redhead family in Gryffindor, whose expression turned dark. The blonde prince then looked to the four shadows behind him. "This is Crabbe and Goyle." One was tall and fat, the other was short and fat. "And this is Theo Nott and Blaise Zabini." The former was lean and quiet, while the latter was tall and had skin darker than the rest.

Alexander did not feel threatened at all, despite thinking that was probably Draco's initial motive. "A pleasure, gentleman. This is Ava Braga, my betrothed." That little nugget got many talking in hushed tones and whispers. They weren't worried about it getting out. Lilin were very protected in Brazil, so snoopy reporters would never learn that. And besides, Alexander clearly was not the 'Harry Potter' Britain expected. Why not control the narrative?

"Olá. Pleased to meet you." Ava kept her gloved hands behind her back, not particularly wanting to explain the reason for being covered. She was having enough trouble holding back her allure. Instead, she opted for a polite nod to the group of boys.

Draco responded the same. "Your accent… Portuguese?"

Ava smiled. "Close. Brazil."

Draco grinned, not in a predatory or calculating way, but something genuine. "Sounds sunny… Peverell- Cousin, I look forward to having you in our House." And with that, the newly-arrived couple were left to re-join their seats. Draco and his four shadows sat further up in the table.

Something important had just taken place. Malfoy had not only welcomed Harry Potter—a son of Gryffindors and a halfblood—into Slytherin but also as a relative. Power and respect within the school had just been shifted to the newcomer and no one had yet to see him use a wand.

The Headmaster watched the exchange with intrigue, then worry, now dread. Harry Potter was not meant to be like this…

After a very filling English breakfast—perhaps too filling for Ava—she took him for a walk around the Black Lake. While the chill of Scotland was slowly but surely rolling in, they were able to find a quiet spot not too far from the school.

Alexander conjured a blanket on the ground and leaned against a tree. Ava, instead of sitting to the side, sat in between his legs and leaned back into his chest. There, alone, they were able to feel like they did in Brazil: comfortable. "Aly, what would you say if we went somewhere for Christmas? Somewhere no one will find us?"

"Hmm. The Peverell's and Slytherin's have holiday homes in the Caribbean."

"It will be a welcomed return to see the sun."

"They're on Misteriosa Bank. I think it's just south of Cuba."

"We could spend a day with the Delacours, pick up Fleur. Gabby can become embarrassed with you, then we go home for a day with Sirius. Then on to our little getaway, just us three. You, me, and Fleur."

"You've thought about this a lot, huh?"

Ava pouted. "I. Hate. The. Cold, Alessander."

Alexander wrapped his arms around her. "How about now?"

"It is better." Ava enjoyed snuggling, and Alexander was embarrassed to comply.

But their solitary didn't last long. "Oi, Potter!"

 _/Now what?/_ Alexander muttered as he and Ava turned to see three Gryffindors trudging towards them. They were led by a redhead, the same one Alexander spotted at the carriages yesterday. He was flanked by a shorter boy, a taller dark-skinned boy, and a boy much chubbier than most their age. The latter two had somewhat worried expressions, whereas shorty and redhead had a smug arrogance Alexander recognised from the Pensieve Memories Pa'foo had shown him of the Marauders. They showed his Dad and Godfather in a new, vindictive light when they terrorised Severus Snape. Sirius was obviously ashamed by the look Alexander had briefly shown.

The redhead stepped forward as Alexander and Ava remained seated. "Oi, Potter."

"He's not here." Alexander kept looking out to the Lake and saw a Giant Squid briefly break the surface.

"Harry Potter is you, ain't it? So, I'm talking to _you_."

"And what are you talking about?"

The redhead's ears burned with the same shade as his hair. "I'm Ron Weasley. _You're_ meant to be in Gryffindor like your parents. _You're_ meant to be one of _us_. Instead, you're a filthy snake!"

By the time he was finished a crowd had formed around them. Twin redheads, Cedric Diggory and his Ravenclaw girlfriend, Cho something, and a few other students from all Houses. Draco, his four shadows, and the girls were just joining the crowd.

Alexander didn't want to be in a fight on his first day, but with the crowd and his rather public scene in the Great Hall, he felt the pressure to at least stand up for himself. But first, he wanted to have some fun. After all, that's all he could do. "Well, Ron Weasley, I would keep your opinions about me to yourself. Or do your regularly think about me? Sorry but I'm taken."

Ava stood up and helped Alexander stand as well. Better to be prepared than get caught with a curse while you're already on your arse.

Weasley's face turned to a tomato as they crowd laughed at him. The only one who didn't was Ron's righthand, Seamus. Even the Twins were laughing at their younger brother. "You queer bastard, I'll teach you!" Ron reached for his wand and frantically threw a stunner at the couple, but his aim was way off and it hit a tree a metre from them.

 _/That was very poor, Aly./_

 _/I almost feel bad about fighting them./_

"What's that, some kind of Dark Magic?!" Ron wore the worst smug face because he was so dim-witted his wit didn't make sense.

Then Ron's righthand, Seamus, decided to chime in. "I knew that whore had bewitched you!"

The crowd's previous laughter ground to a halt and Alexander's eyes turned hard. He turned to Ava for permission, but she boringly shrugged. Verbal insults had no effect on her anymore. So, Alexander, in a split-second drew his Yew and launched two overpowered stunners at Ron and Seamus, sending them flying back, past the crowd, and into two waiting trees. Their bodies hit the ground with simultaneous clunks and didn't move afterwards.

"You bloody-" "-fucking bastard!" The Twins charged into battle with enthusiasm but inexperience as they threw chains of spells that were easily blocked. There was no tactic, no thought to their assault, so Alexander sent them flying back as well, though they only hit the somewhat hard ground.

The dark boy, Dean, reached for his wand but before he could fire a spell Alexander disarmed him with an _expelliarmus_. He wisely didn't do anything after that. As did Neville, so nothing happened to him either.

Alexander gave the rest assembled a vicious look to check for more challengers, but none came forward, so he left with Ava, going further around the Lake. Draco and the Slytherins had a ball watching 'Harry Potter' shit all over the Gryffindors. They went to tell the rest of the House what transpired.

 _/You really shouldn't have done that. Now they'll come after you harder, crueller./_

 _/I know./_

While Ava enjoyed her mate's chivalry, it did get him into trouble. _/You need to control that anger, Alessander. I thought Occlumency was handling that./_

 _/It is. I am trying, but here, with these people… and it's only the first day./_

 _/I won't lie and say I understand. Imagine what might happen if they found out about me being a Lilin. Fleur told me all about what the boys and girls were like to her last year./_

 _/Then, we'd leave. I'd press for an early exemption and take the exams at the Ministry. That law stipulates that I have to be qualified in the UK. I'm a Lord, Dumbledore can get fucked./_

 _/That's not like your usual noble self./_

 _/Like I said, these people, with their expectations, make it difficult./_

 _/I'm sure Sirius would love to hear you voluntarily left Hogwarts. What is the bet on finishing all three years?/_

 _/A thousand galleons, per year./_

 _/Which is still chump change for you two./_

 _/Still, if he won, he'll tease me even more mercilessly than he does now. You know him./_

 _/Mm. I love your godfather, but he lacks a…/_

 _/Good sense of humour?/_

 _/I was about to say restraint./_

Alexander picked up a handful of stones and sifted through them, picking out the flat ones. Ava sat down on a beached log, snuggling further into the expensive furs that wrapped her. "You know, with all that fur you could be mistaken for game in these lands." Alexander grinned as he skipped a stone along the surface.

"Better thought as game than known as a wolf… Grim." She gave him her best predatory smile.

"You're saying I can't be underestimated?"

"Who knows?"

A few minutes later, they heard the crunching of the ground and found Tracey running towards them. "Alexander, Ava! Hey!" When she reached them, her face was all red and she was puffing as if she had just run a marathon.

"Take a breath, Tracey. What's wrong?"

"He-Headmaster Dumbledore wants you in his office right away."

"Oh no. Someone is in trouble, Aly."

"Seems that way. Only me, Tracey?"

"Yeah." The red in her cheeks began to recede. "I can walk Ava back to the Common Room."

"I am going to stay here. You can join me, though, if you like."

The red returned to Tracey's cheeks. "Okay." She sat on the log as well.

Alexander tossed the last few stones into the water. "Well, I'll see you later then."

"Do not get expelled, you will lose the bet."

Alexander waved a goodbye and made his way to Dumbledore's office. Finding it without the Marauder's Map would've been a nightmare, thankfully though, he did have the map. Getting inside the office also would've proved to be a dilemma unless he showed the large golden Griffin his Lord Slytherin ring. The ring itself was actually two-in-one; when he placed both the Slytherin and Peverell rings on his finger, they joined together. The rings' magic allowed the Lord to cast a powerful _disillusion_ on it to kept it hidden. Alexander knew it was unwise to walk around Hogwarts, let alone Britain, with the Lord's ring for Slytherin and Peverell. He and Sirius weren't sure if he should wear the Gaunt ring/Resurrection Stone 24/7. Although, it was hard to safely ask anyone for advice.

Politely knocking on the door, Alexander entered the office to find the Headmaster at his grand ornate desk, flanked by two Heads of House: McGonagall and Snape. They all looked at him as he walked up to them. "You wished to see me, Headmaster?"

The old man's eyes twinkled as he looked over his half-moon glasses. "Yes, Mister Potter- Peverell. Forgive me." His smile did not say it was an accident. "We have been informed that you put four boys in the Infirmary. Would you like to explain yourself?"

Before Alexander could begin he was cut off by the fireplace roaring with green flames. Two figures stormed out. Two redheads. "HE WILL BE EXPELLED!" The woman shrieked as the man followed her into the office, although, he looked just as pissed off.

"Ah, Mister and Missus Weasley-" Dumbledore was cut off.

"I want him out of this school! He is a danger to my children! I want him out, out, out!" She was practically screaming into Alexander' ear, and it took every ounce of his occlumency shields to not curse her for it. "Your parents would be ashamed of you!" That put cracks in his shields.

"Molly, that is enough!" Everyone, including Alexander, was surprised to see the Headmaster raise his voice. "Mister Pott- Peverell, was just about to explain his actions before you entered." That didn't stop Molly glaring at Alexander though. "Mister Peverell, as you were about to say?"

"I can show you instead." He took out his Yew and drew the memory from his mind. Dumbledore brought forth his Pensieve and expanded it so that all could take a look. It briefly started with Ava mentioning how much she hated cold weather, him wrapping his arms around her, and then being interrupted. The memory didn't lie, it showed them being insulted and provoked, and showed Ron and Seamus in a rather bad light. The only thing Alexander thought he might have to defend was attacking the Twins, however, he thought that leaving Dean and Neville unscathed would buy him some goodwill.

When the memory finished, and they all exited the Pensieve, Alexander saw the embarrassment on Arthur's face, although Molly still looked like she wanted to kill him. Dumbledore wore a blank expression which was echoed by Snape, although a crack of a smile seeped out. McGonagall looked rather disappointed by her students' behaviour. "I think the facts speak for themselves. Mister Peverell was insulted and provoked, along with Miss Braga. He will not be expelled. He will, however, receive one weeks detention with Professor McGonagall and will lose one hundred House Points for his rather… extreme retaliation-"

"That's it?! He put my boys in the infirmary! I want him gone from this school or I'll take my remaining children out!" Molly's face was growing just as screaming-red as her hair. Alexander imitated a mannequin and stood motionless. He had to resist the urge to laugh or even smirk.

"Molly. It is final. Poppy is seeing to your sons and Mister Finnegan at the moment, and when they are cleared to leave, and you still wish it, you can remove them from Hogwarts. It is yours and Arthur's decision, of course." Dumbledore was somewhat surprising Alexander at the moment with how he was handling things. He was sure he'd placate to the Weasleys, but he figured it was to catch Alexander off guard and create some kind of trust.

Molly looked at the old man with fury and bewilderment. "H-h-how can you say that?!" Molly was cut off when Arthur grabbed his wife's shoulders and guided her to the exit.

"Minerva, would you escort the Weasleys to the Infirmary? I believe in their current, distraught manner, they might… diverge." Dumbledore kept his tone even, though Alexander noticed his eyes lost that creepy twinkle for a moment.

"Of course, Headmaster. Peverell, you're first detention is at seven in my classroom. Do be on time." And with that, she left, taking off after the Weasley parents.

Dumbledore then turned his attention to Snape. "Severus, would you please wait outside and escort Har- Alexander to the Slytherin Common Room after I've had a word with him?"

"Of course, Headmaster." Snape made for the door. The end of his robes swished and billowed at his heels.

Now, the office's only occupants were the old man and the Boy-Who-Lived. "Alexander. May I call you Alex?"

"You may."

Dumbledore smiled and motioned for him to sit. "I won't lie, I expected a very different young man to be before me."

"Sirius is great a father."

"Sirius is your god-"

"-He raised me." Alexander cut it, knowing exactly what Dumbledore was about to say.

"I detect anger… Towards your parents' deaths."

"No. I know they loved me, and it was that love that, in part, saved me that night. But they weren't here. Sirius was, and he is the best father I know. However, he still isn't comfortable when I call him 'dad' or 'father', so I don't."

"What do you call him, if I may ask?" That twinkle came back.

"Well, when I was young I had trouble saying 'Padfoot', it always came out as 'Pa'foo'. It kinda just stuck."

"I see." Dumbledore eyed every inch of Alexander, from his hair, to his scar, to his eyes and the lack of glasses, to his clothes. "You remind me very much of your father, James, except for the eyes-"

"-They're my mother's eyes. Sirius often said that."

"I miss them a great deal. I am very happy to see you again, and within these walls."

"Thank you, sir… However, I dislike being dragged back to Britain. I loved being abroad."

"I am sorry, but new laws were introduced."

"Yes, I'm well aware… Is that all, sir? I'd rather not keep Professor Snape waiting. I'm told he disliked me before I arrived."

"Yes, that's all." Which gave Alexander leave for the door, but he was stopped. "I would, however, suggest you remain out of trouble, Alexander."

"You saw the memory, sir. I didn't start nor seek a fight."

"A word of caution, my dear boy." Dumbledore's expression grew more serious than it had been before returning to the familiar grandfatherly visage everyone experienced. "I would like, that is, with your permission, to speak again, Alex. Obviously, not today, but soon."

Alexander paused. "I would like very much, sir." He would have to be careful.

The old man smiled. "Excellent. I shall send a House-Elf when our schedules permit."

"Understood, sir." Alexander stepped through the door, leaving the Headmaster both worried and curious about the Boy-Who-Lived. First this 'Grim' in the Great Hall and now Harry's rather overt way of retaliating to confrontation. Albus was very concerned about this year at Hogwarts. Was he another Tom?

Snape, however, looked very bored. "About. Time." He took off, leaving Alexander to quickly walk after him. It wasn't until several hallways and flights of steps later before he talked again. "Impressive first day, Potter. You've managed to put four boys in the Infirmary and achieved to escape expulsion or even suspension. Even your fathers never accomplished that."

"Yes, well, I'm not my father or Sirius. And since I know you dislike calling me 'Potter' just as much as I dislike hearing it said like that, why not just call me 'Peverell'?"

"Not like your father? Your arrogance blinds you."

"Maybe, but 'Alexander Peverell' is my legal name."

Snape just grunted, and they spent the rest of the time walking to the Common Room in silence. As they stood outside the entrance, Snape just turned and walked off, further down the Dungeons.

"Runespoor." And with that, Alexander entered the Common Room, where a lot of Slytherins stopped and watched him. He ignored them and spotted Pansy and Daphne at a table playing Wizard's Chess. "Hello. Can I sit down?"

"Sure. You can watch me get destroyed by Daph." Pansy pulled out the chair next to her for Alexander to sit down in. "We're up to game five and all lost to her."

"You act too quickly. You need patience… and forethought." Daphne then took Pansy's remaining Knight, leaving very little left. "You didn't get expelled, did you?"

"Nope. Missus Weasley looked like she wanted to kill me though."

"I bet. I believe you owe five galleons, Pansy."

Alexander smirked as Pansy handed over the gold coins to Daphne, who then put her into checkmate. "Pansy, you thought I'd be leaving so soon?"

"Uh, it seemed like it'd be the most likely outcome. Don't hold it against me."

"Okay. Just don't ask me to play chess."

Daphne cocked an eyebrow. "You don't play?"

"Nah, I don't have the patience for it. I sorta just gun my way through it. Play Ava though, she'll give you a run for your money."

"Maybe."

At that moment, Draco and his two shadows, Crabbe and Goyle (who knew which was which?) came up to their table. Alexander noticed Theo and Blaise at another table reading textbooks. "Cousin, that was fantastic! The way you handled those Gryffindokrs is exactly what they needed. You're not in trouble though, right?"

"Just a weeks detention… although, I did lose a hundred points."

Draco waved it off. "Pish, we'll make up for it. Besides, I'd lose a hundred points to see Weasley end up in the Infirmary again."

"Yeah, it was rather fun." Alexander's 'cousin' was beginning to have a bad impact on him and they had just met. Still, his mix of bravado and arrogance was infecting in a magnetic way. No wonder why he had those two fat shadows always following him around. However, despite being related, Draco was a Malfoy, and more importantly, probably thought he'd be the next Lord Black. Alexander would have to keep one eye on his 'cousin'.

The next hour was spent watching Pansy lose a few more games of chess before Alexander was coaxed to sub and then lose a lot of games very quickly. He wasn't lying when he said his strategy was to fly through them. He honestly couldn't care for the game and only played because Ava asked him to.

After switching with Pansy again the two absentee Slytherins returned. Ava was grinning as she walked over and deeply planted a kiss that burned with passion. "I see we are not leaving."

Pansy looked at the couple. "You were going to leave?" She seemed unaffected by their public display of affection.

"Of course. If Aless was expelled, I would leave too. No offence, but I am only here for him. Although, I am meant to be keeping him out of trouble." She kissed him again.

"So, what did you two talk about while I was being screamed to death by Missus Weasley?"

"Oh, just girl talk. Sharing stories and gossip. Nothing that would interest you." Ava gave an innocent smile as Tracey just nodded cutely.

"Lucky for me then." Alexander stretched his arms above his head, cracking his back. _/I'm going to let Pa'foo know about today. I'm not sure if the statue will open for you, so if not, just knock and I'll let you in./_

 _/Okay. Do you want to talk about it?/_

 _/Later, after my detention./_ He kissed her again before entering their private quarters. His first day had definitely been eventful and it wasn't even lunch time yet.

 _end of chapter 2_

A/N: For this story, Ron, Seamus, Dean and Neville will be reminiscent of the Marauders.

Ron and Seamus are James and Sirius, Dean and Neville are Remus and Peter. Basically, Ron and Seamus will be the pricks Draco, Crabbe and Goyle are in canon. Dean and Neville are kinda just there because they're all friends.

My Draco Malfoy will be a little different than canon. There won't be any 'Dramione' garbage because: 1) I think it's stupid, and 2) Hermione's dead. Draco is still a pureblood supremist, just not as outwardly arrogant as he is in canon. And, his beliefs are instilled by his father, rather than his own.


End file.
